17 Delicious Valentine's Day Treats to Make With Your Kids

When you think of Valentine's Day, what's the first thing that comes to mind? I think of love, chocolate, hearts, candy, and pink and red. Valentine's Day is traditionally a day to show your loved ones how much you care, and possibly lavish them with yummy treats and thoughtful cards.

Although this is typically a time for showing your love for a partner or love interest, in our home our children are the focus. We use the Valentine's Day holiday as an excuse to make fun crafts, create yummy treats to share, make cards for each other, and lavish love on everyone. Who really needs a good excuse for chocolate and love?

So get ready for chocolate, cherries, caramel, strawberries, and all kinds of clean eating fun. Before we dive in, though, let’s take a moment to remember what Valentine’s Day is all about. After all, we should understand the origins of the holiday if we’re going to celebrate it, right?

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The History of Valentine's Day

Every February 14th, across the United States, and in other places around the world, candy, flowers, cards, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of someone called St. Valentine. But who is that and where did this custom come from?

One story talks about a time in 3rd-century Rome when Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. Therefore, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, a priest at the time, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

While imprisoned, Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl, possibly his jailor’s daughter, who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed, “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today.

Creamy Caramel Cheesecake Bites | Source

Creamy Caramel Cheesecake Bites

These sweet bites of creamy cream cheese and honey, topped with rich caramel sauce will make you want to have an excuse every day of the year to make them. And the crunchy almond crust makes them a healthy snack to boot! I like to use my basic creamy cheesecake recipe and then mix it up with a variety of different flavors. Why recreate the wheel? Just redecorate it!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries | Source

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

What would this iconic holiday be without chocolate dipped strawberries? So many people rush to the grocery store to buy them as a special gift, or even order them online for special delivery. But why spend all of that money to get a low quality product when you can just make them at home yourself in a minute or two?

Ingredients:

1 box fresh strawberries

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

Line a cookie sheet or nice plate with parchment paper. The paper is optional and just makes it easier to pick up the strawberries later, otherwise they'll stick to your plate or pan.

Melt your chocolate chips. I melt mine in a small bowl in the microwave, but you are welcome to use a small pan on the stove or a double boiler.

Once the chocolate is melted, immediately pick up your strawberries, one at a time, by the leaves and dip them in. Set them aside on your prepared plate once they are covered in chocolate. You may have to twist them in the melted chocolate to completely coat them.

Refrigerate them until needed. I wouldn't plan on keeping them fresh like this for more than a day or two. I would enjoy them right away.

Homemade Toffee | Source

Homemade Toffee

This is one of those delicacies that you'd think you would need to sacrifice your entire diet for, but I know how to make it will all-natural, wholesome ingredients so you don't have to feel guilty splurging on some with your loved ones. Imagine your husband's surprise when you offer him guilt-free toffee for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

8 tablespoons grass-fed butter

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup almond pieces

Instructions:

Line a 9x13 rectangular baking dish with parchment paper and sprinkle half of your almond pieces into the bottom.

In a large saucepan on the stove, combine your coconut sugar, water, vanilla, salt, and butter, in that order.

Turn your heat to medium high and stir the ingredients together in one direction, so the butter doesn’t separate. Keep stirring until your butter has completely melted and the ingredients are fully combined.

Stop stirring and let the mixture heat to 300 degrees F, or the hard crack stage on a candy thermometer.

Once it reaches temperature, remove it from the heat and pour it into your prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle your chocolate chips over the top and leave it for a few minutes so the chocolate can melt.

When melted, spread the chocolate evenly over the top of your toffee with a spatula and sprinkle the other half of your almond pieces over the top.

Place the toffee in the refrigerator for about an hour to harden.

Once the toffee has hardened, pull it out of the refrigerator and remove it from the baking dish by using the edges of the parchment paper.

Break it into pieces using your hands or a knife.

Peanut Butter Bread Pudding | Source

Peanut Butter Bread Pudding

If you thought my chocolate chip bread pudding recipe was delicious, you're going to absolutely go crazy for this peanut butter version. Creamy peanut butter, gooey cream soaked bread....Yum! Made even better by adding strawberry or cherry preserves. This is one you won't want to miss.

In a small saucepan on the stove, combine your remaining milk, coconut sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour this over your bread mixture in the casserole dish and stir gently.

Slide your bread pudding into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve warm, topped with your strawberry or cherry preserves.

Coconut Cream Bread Pudding | Source

Coconut Cream Bread Pudding

I'm such a huge fan of coconut. I've been told that you either love it or hate it, but I beg to differ. This delicious concoction is a coconut cream pie in a decadent, hot dish. It will most certainly make you forget what you disliked about coconut, or make you fall in love all over again.

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of milk with your eggs and pour this over your bread pieces in the casserole dish. Mix gently.

In a small saucepan on the stove, add your remaining milk and all other ingredients.

Stir over medium low heat until your coconut sugar and butter have melted and everything is well mixed.

Pour this mixture over your bread pieces as well and stir gently to mix.

Slide your bread pudding into the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours until a spatula comes out clean when slid into the middle of the pudding.

Cherry Hand Pies | Source

Cherry Hand Pies

Honestly, I think many more people would try cherry pie and enjoy it in this form. A large cherry pie is kind of intimidating, and having to take on a full slice of your own, with the massive amount of cherry filling pouring out the side (yum!), is a little bit too much for some people to handle. But these sweet little hand pies are small enough to fit into your hand, or require a commitment of a few bites and only contain a few tablespoons of cherry pie filling. This isn’t to say that you won’t want to consume an entire cherry pie’s worth of hand pies, but at least you’ll have that option.

Ingredients:

Crust

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup real butter

1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

about 1/2 cup ice water

Filling

5 cups fresh cherries, sliced and pitted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut sugar

Instructions:

Start by making your pie crust. Spread your coconut oil out on a plate into a thin layer and pop it into the freezer to chill while you're making everything else.

Next, pour your flour, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Cut up your cold butter into small pieces. Then dump about 2 cups or so of your flour into the food processor and process with your butter. I then mix it all back into the main bowl.

Then break your frozen coconut oil into small pieces and repeat the process with a smaller amount of flour and your coconut oil in the food processor. Obviously this all could have been done in the mixing bowl with a fork, but I really hate to mix cold butter and oil with my hands. The processor makes it so much easier.

Mix everything together well in your mixing bowl and then start adding ice water. I don't measure it out. I just dump at little in at a time and mix until the dough will stick together when squeezed.

Then I cover it with saran wrap and pop it into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to chill.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a couple cookie sheets with some parchment paper.

In a large saucepan, pour all of your filling ingredients. Cook on medium to medium low temperature on your stove until the sugar in your filling melts and your filling starts thickening up. This may take a few minutes as your cherries will start to break down and release their juices first, and then the juices will start evaporating.

Now that your dough is cold, dump it out onto a clean surface, and squeeze and knead with your hands until your dough comes together. You may need a bit more cold water.

Split it in half and wrap one half back into your saran wrap and put it back in the refrigerator.

Cut the remaining dough into at least 4-5 pieces and roll out into 1/8 inch thin circles.

Lay these circles out on your prepared cookie sheet.

When your filling is ready, spoon a few tablespoons into the center of each circle and fold them in half.

Crimp them closed with a fork. And pull out the other half of your dough to repeat the process.

Cut small slits into the top of each pie for venting, and if you’d like, brush them with a little bit of milk before sliding them into the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes | Source

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

These are a really fun way to let your kids create individual treats to serve everyone at dinnertime on Valentine's Day to commemorate the holiday. A yummy almond crust, creamy cheesecake filling and fresh cherry topping will make everyone feel like they are getting treated with a decadent dessert.

Instructions:

Pour your almonds for your crust into the food processor (or blender) and process down as fine as you can. Then pour your blended almonds into a bowl and mix with your melted butter.

Press this mixture into the bottom of your casserole dish as evenly as possible. You may need a piece of wax paper on top to help you with this.

Now mix your cheesecake ingredients until smooth and spread on top of your crust. You'll go ahead and bake the cheesecake for about 25 minutes. Then remove and cool before the next step.

In a small bowl, mix your yogurt, honey and vanilla topping ingredients until you have a smooth consistency, and pour the topping over your cheesecake once it has cooled slightly.

Now pop the whole thing back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes. The toppings will still move but should be relatively firm once cooled.

Remove from the oven and cool once again, but this time, you'll slide the whole dish into the freezer for an hour.

At this time, you can smear cherry preserves over the whole thing and freeze again, or you can top each mini cheesecake with cherry preserves when you serve them.

After it's frozen, we pull it out of the dish by the parchment paper and cut it up into little squares.

Chocolate Cherry Sorbet | Source

Chocolate Cherry Sorbet

Do you love chocolate covered cherries but don't want to buy the box of overly sugared candies from the store for your family? I understand. Of course you could make your own at home with some melted dark chocolate chips (see above), or you could be creative and enjoy your treat in a way no one else will. Your kids are going to love this twist on chocolate ice cream for Valentine's Day too!

Instructions:

Cherries are so much cheaper and better tasting when fresh. It’s not that hard to slice each in half, remove the pit and freeze on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes.

Process your frozen cherries and cocoa powder in a food processor until the cherries are broken up into small pieces. It will look more like cherry ice at this point.

Add all of your other ingredients to your food processor. Pulse until it is smooth and creamy.

Serve immediately for soft serve texture. Or you can pour it into a glass loaf pan, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream, and freeze for 2-3 hours for a more traditional ice cream texture.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream | Source

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

This was my go-to snack recipe for my toddler and I when I was pregnant with my second child. It's so easy and so healthy that's its hard to find an excuse not to make it every day. Sprinkle some dark chocolate chips on top, and maybe some crushed peanuts, and you've got a treat that will make you feel like you're being spoiled, no matter how old you are.

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced frozen bananas

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

Remove banana slices from freezer and place in your food processor.

Pulse bananas until they are smooth. Blend in peanut butter.

When thoroughly blended, stir in chocolate chips + enjoy!

Optional: Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes for ice-cream like consistency.

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups | Source

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

I published this recipe a while back in response to a challenge to create clean eating candy, and it has turned into a regular in our house. It doesn't get much easier than this. No baking, just a cupcake pan, three ingredients and your freezer and voila! You'll have a treat your family will be asking for again and again. And it's just perfect for little hands to create.

Ingredients:

2 cups dark chocolate chips

2 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Topping:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons honey, melted

Instructions:

Fill each of the segments in a muffin tin with muffin cups. (I prefer to use silicon muffin cups because they are cheap, reusable, and they don’t stick to your food.)

In one bowl melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil in small increments in the microwave.

When they are melted, quickly spoon out your mixture into each of your muffin cups. They should cover at least a 1/4 inch into the bottom of all 12 muffin cups. Feel free to melt more chocolate chips if you need them.

In another bowl, melt all of your topping ingredients together until smooth.

When melted and smooth, spoon out your peanut butter mixture into each of your muffin cups on top of your chocolate.

When finished, pop the entire muffin tin in the freezer for 30 minutes or so. You can store them in a storage bag in the freezer for future enjoyment.

Raspberry Coconut Fudge | Source

Raspberry Coconut Fudge

Raspberries and chocolate are simply made to go together, and once you give this yummy fudge a try, I think you'll agree. What a perfect, even healthy, snack to put together with your kids for Valentine's Day. They'll think you're the best ever, and it will come together so quickly and easily, you'll wish you had thought of it sooner.

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup raw honey, melted

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, melt your coconut oil and honey in a microwave.

While the coconut oil melts, mash the raspberries with a fork in a small bowl. You want a few little chunks remaining, so don't pulverize them.

Once the coconut oil and honey are melted, add in the mashed raspberries, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and pour the fudge in. Place in the freezer for about an hour until hardened.

Once firm, let the fudge sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before pulling it out with the parchment paper, and slicing.

Cherry Filled Chocolate Cups | Source

Cherry Filled Chocolate Cups

If you enjoyed my chocolate peanut butter cups, you’re going to love these cherry filled chocolate cups! These are a little like chocolate covered cherries, but much better. I make my own cherry preserves by filling a Crock-pot with sliced, pitted cherries, and cooking them on high with a bit of raw honey. When the cherries are wilted, I hit the whole thing with an immersion blender and then let it cook uncovered until thickened. It’s so easy that there’s no excuse for us not to have fresh preserves around any time we want for great Valentine’s treats like these.

Ingredients:

Bottom layer:

2 cups dark chocolate chips

2 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Filling:

2 cups cherry preserves, homemade preferred

Top layer:

2 cups dark chocolate chips

2 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Instructions:

Fill each of the segments in a muffin tin with muffin cups. (I prefer to use silicon muffin cups because they are cheap, reusable, and they don’t stick to your food.)

In one bowl melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil for your bottom layer in small increments in the microwave.

When they are melted, quickly spoon out your mixture into each of your muffin cups. They should cover at least a 1/4 inch into the bottom of all 12 muffin cups. Feel free to melt more chocolate chips if you need them. Try to smooth the chocolate up the sides of the muffin cups.

Pop the muffin tins in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden the chocolate.

Next spoon about a tablespoon of cherry preserves into the center of each muffin cup.

In another bowl, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil for your top layer until smooth.

When melted and smooth, spoon it out into each of your muffin cups on top of your cherry preserves.

Tap the entire pan on the counter lightly so the chocolate will settle.

When finished, pop the entire muffin tin in the freezer for 30 minutes or so. You can store them in a storage bag in the freezer for future enjoyment.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Coconut Clusters | Source

Chocolate Cherry Almond Coconut Clusters

This creation was born of a snack craving turned genius idea. The idea is similar to a turtle candy, but even better. Almonds, dried cherries, coconut and chocolate make this treat not only fun to put together, but deliciously healthy. I promise you won't be able to eat just one of these little babies. My 4 year old son requests to make these all the time because they are so quick and easy, and he can do them all by himself.

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds

1 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Make small piles of several almonds, a couple cherries, and some shredded coconut evenly spaced on your baking sheet.

Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted.

Spoon heaping tablespoons of the melted chocolate on top of your piles of goodies on your lined baking sheet. (If you choose, you could also have mixed all ingredients together and then scooped out piles onto your baking sheet. But that's not quite as fun.)

Slide the whole sheet into the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes, until set.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Ice Cream | Source

Strawberry Ice Cream

I'm a huge fan of ice cream, as is the rest of my family, but we don't want all of the added sugars and chemicals in our ice cream. So we make ours at home. However, so many recipes for homemade ice cream require an ice cream maker to create, and I've never liked the bother. So I strive to share easy recipes that you can make without the need for one, like this recipe. Three easy ingredients and you can have ice cream in mere minutes. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen strawberries

1 cup organic vanilla yogurt

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

Instructions:

Add the frozen strawberries, coconut sugar, and yogurt to the bowl of your food processor.

Process until creamy. (2-5 minutes, depending on your food processor)

Triple Chocolate Brownies Truffles | Source

Triple Chocolate Brownie Truffles

What a fun way to enjoy your brownies and let your kids get their hands dirty! My oldest son (4 years old) was so excited/thought I was out of my mind when I told him that we were going to crumble up an entire pan of cookie brownies for this treat. But once I suggested that we add even more chocolate to them, he was on board. Boy were they delicious! We have also made these with leftover cookie brownies for another great truffle idea!

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, add all of your dry ingredients except the oats.

Blend the oats in a blender until powdered before adding them to your mixing bowl.

I suggest melting the peanut butter and honey in a separate bowl together in the microwave for about 30 seconds first and then pour them into your mixing bowl.

Then add vanilla, applesauce and the egg to your bowl, mixing in between.

Finally, add in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

Pour the whole mixture into your prepared dish and spread evenly.

Then top your brownies with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.

Pop them into the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Pull them out and let them cool. In the meantime, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

When ready, stick your hands in and crumble the whole thing.

Scoop out by the tablespoon and roll into balls. Place those balls on your lined cookie sheet until they are all done.

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt your chocolate chips in 30 second increments until done.

Immediately roll or dip each of your brownie balls into the chocolate and place them back on the cookie sheet. This would be a great time for another person to sprinkle the tops, if you wish, with something fun, like chopped nuts or dried fruit.

Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.

Easy Strawberry Shortcake | Source

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

Just when you thought a delicious plate of strawberry shortcake was out of your reach, and your diet, this amazing recipe catches your interest. Is it possible to have a clean eating strawberry shortcake? It sure is! And this one includes homemade whipped cream and everything. Look out world!

Ingredients:

1 box of strawberries

Pound cake:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups organic plain yogurt

1/2 cup grass-fed butter, softened

1 cup coconut sugar

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a couple of loaf pans with parchment paper.

Mix all of your pound cake ingredients together in a large bowl and divvy it out into your loaf pans.

Bake then for 30-45 minutes, until a knife slid into the middle comes out clean.

When finished set aside to cool.

In the meantime, make your whipped cream and slice your strawberries.

For your whipped cream: Chill your mixing bowl for about 10 minutes first, along with your whisk or hand mixer attachments. You want everything to be really cold.

Add all whipped cream ingredients to your mixing bowl and whisk (or beat on high) for a few minutes until light and fluffy. You can refrigerate it for up to 2 hours.

When everything is ready, slice your pound cake and layer on a plate with your whipped cream and strawberries. Yum!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Hot Chocolate | Source

Chocolate Covered Cherry Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is a winter favorite in our home. Although it’s best just plain, we like to mix in all sorts of wonderful flavors per the holidays to get in the spirit. Over Thanksgiving it’s pumpkin spice or nutmeg, over Christmas it’s mint, in January it’s generally caramel, and in February… you guessed it’s cherry! Yum! Nothing says Valentine’s Day like chocolate covered cherries.

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup cherry preserves, homemade preferred

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips (or 2 tablespoons cocoa powder)

Instructions:

In a large pot, pour your milk and cinnamon, and get them warmed up over medium low heat.

In a small pot, mix your cherry preserves and chocolate chips and melt over medium low heat. Once both are hot, slowly stir the cherry chocolate mixture into your milk and whisk until combined.

Serve hot.

If you don’t like the idea of cherry chunks in your hot chocolate, you can heat only your cherry preserves over the heat and then strain out the cherry pieces in a small sieve before adding in the chocolate chips.

You can also substitute cocoa powder for chocolate chips to get a smoother consistency.

Source

What's really great about all of these treats is that not only are they great for making with your children, but they are all filled with wonderfully wholesome ingredients. All of the food we make here at our house is "clean eating," which simply means that we don't use processed food products, refined white sugar and flour, or any synthetic ingredients in our recipes.

We use healthy, natural ingredients like whole wheat flour, coconut sugar, raw local honey, pink Himalayan salt, coconut oil, homemade vanilla extract, and fresh fruit in all of our recipes. By creating fun treats at home together, I am also teaching my children skills that will benefit them in the future, like where their food comes from, how to read a recipe and measure out ingredients, how ingredients combine to create new substances, and how to prepare food for themselves.

It's also fun just to get into each of the holidays and make them special by creating fun crafts and treats to share with friends and family. They learn about each of the holidays by having fun and making memories, and they have something to look forward to each month. Have fun with these and try coming up with some of your own fun ideas! I'm sure your kids will have some great ideas.

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